International Men’s Day – Better relations between men and women

As we celebrate International Men’s Day for another year, the concept of a day set aside for men is certainly growing on people globally, of course nothing like the magnitude of International Women’s Day. This will take time and lots of effort by organizers, governments, gender-based NGOs and men’s groups to consistently push the idea of IMD.

This year’s theme “Better relations between men and women” is very timely as we witness increased acts of violence and domestic abuse as families spend more time at home due to COVID-19 pandemic. Our society is built on the foundation that men and women get along, procreate and raise a family in order to sustain society and the human race itself. Better relations between men and women also means that children raised in those homes grow up more socially and emotionally ready for adulthood, less deviant, and better prepared for relationships themselves.

The above is obviously an oversimplification of two complex phenomenon call relationships and socialization, however, it is deliberate. You see, in my humble opinion over time we have over-complicated relationships and socialization. Men want to play the roles of women and women want to play men’s roles. While I do not necessarily subscribe to all traditional gender roles, some roles are not negotiable. The push to please everyone regardless of how insidious their rights claim has made our lives very complication and blurred the lines of what (or who) is man and what (or who) is woman.

Men and women need each other; we are interdependent and therefore must strive to live in harmony as we play our various roles to make our society sustainable and to pave the way for the next generation.

#IMD2021 #menandwomen #Clevelandsam #genderrelations

Finally we win a series!!!!

Ohhhhhh boy! what a relief! Finally the West Indies team has won a series; all be it against one of the minnows of world cricket, Zimbabwe. But it least it is something for us to celebrate. at the same time it is an indicationof how low our cricket has sunk, where the only success we can celebrate in years is a series over Zimbabwe!! Congrats anyway and we us hope that this is the sign of new things to come.

Science and Technology?

Over the last two days the Barbados National Science Council has been staging the Sci-Tech Expo. The expo is usually held every two years and gives schools, businesses and organisation an oportunity to showcase their science and technology offerings, products, discoveries, expirements and systems.

Well it appears that the economic recession has hit the expo too! The number of schools with booths has significantly reduced and there is no private sector presence. A great pity indeed. Were it not for the Barbados Community College, UWI CEREMES, Barbados Police Force Ferensic Science Unit, CXC, Project Discovery and  a few others, the Expo may well have not happened this year. Is it that poor.

And what about the attendance of students, one of the main target audience of the Expo? Where are they? Students only came in by the handfuls on the days so far, and with today and tomorrow being weekend days, attendance may be more dismal. And then we hear talk about students not interested in Science. This is where the interest in such things start. Let’s hope that in the future the planners work more closely with stakeholders to ensure better results.

Caribbean Elections and Politics

For the longest while I have been wanting to write about the politics and specifically the recent elections in the region. After the first couple of them in Dominica last December and St Kitts and Nevis, where the incumbent party won, I was tempted to write that the so-called wind of change from 2008 had stopped blowing, but then came elections in Anguilla couple days ago and what do you know, the wind of change picked up again and there was a change of government. I am sure the other ruling parties in the region for whom elections are close, were perhaps feeling a little more comfortable, but for Anguilla. It perhaps reminded those ruling parties of the harsh realities of Caribbean politics.

The elections bells must surely to close to ringing in St Vincent and the Grenadines, where elections are constitutionally due by March 2011. I am sure the Comrade will wait for as long as possible to repair some of the damage done by his ruling party loosing the constitutional referendum late last year. My guess is that had the “yes” vote won the referendum elections would have been called already, but having lost that crucial vote, the Comrade and his strategists have to think agian. I would think that a post-carnival or even post-Christmas elections is possible.

Police Brutality-Finally a conviction

For the first time, at least that I could remember, police men in St Vincent and the Grenadines have been convicted of brutality! The  justice system finally got it right! For years people have made complains about police brutality, even unlawful police killings and nothing came of them for the victims. Those who died, their relatives had to live with the phrase “death by misadventure.” But on last week Tuesday, three officers were found guilty in the Magistrate’s Court of causing actual bodily harm to a 15-year old Jemark Jackson.  This young man was beaten so badly he suffered from what the medical experts call “acute pulmonary edema.” According to reports in The News newspaper, the medical team at the Milton Cato Hospital had to ventilate the young man’s lungs to get oxygenation going as to protect his vital organs. He spent five days in the intensive care unit! Five days and the police men are still claiming that they never beat Jackson. But this is the state of some of the policemen we hire in St Vincent. They are just good old plain liars. What exactly happened to Jackson will remain with those policement to their grave, but at least we know that some justice has been done.

I take me hat off to DPP Colin Williams, my former Editor at The News. Colin prosecuted this case himself and for that I give him credit. Too often Police in St Vincent behave(out of ignorance) like they are above the law. Trust me, a lot of them are real ignorant. I had to deal with them as a Journalist with The News and their ignorance was laughable. I wrote at www.carifuna.com last year about my encounters with them.

Colin, I know you will not be the most popular man now for the police force, but you have to do your job and I know you will be do it without bias.

Justice for all. Let us weed out the bad eggs in the Police force who give the force and the country a bad name.

Fighting back the rate hikes

It appears that no one in Barbados is taking any collecvtive action to fight the recent hikes in utility rates, not even the consumer rights organisation has indicated any protest action, at least not that I have heard about. We therefore need to take individual action to come back the increases.

Let us start by disconnecting all the extras we have with our telephone service, call waiting, call forwarding, conference calling, caller ID. What ever service you have that carries an extra charge, DISCONNECT IT NOW!

Regarding the electricity, let us start using our heads; turn off the light when you are not in the room, iron several pieces of clothes at the same time, plug out appliances when not in use, unplug any device which leaves a light on when you turn it off, only open the fridge when you have decided what you are taking out of it.

And, finally, why don’t we all take off our electricity for 5 hours as a protest to BLPC! Any takers?

Tribute to Professor Rex Nettleford

I was driving to work this morning when the news announcer said in the headlines that Professor Rex Nettleford is dead. Immediately the bumps on my skin were raised. I knew Professor Nettleford was in a coma in a hospital in Washington, but somehow I expected him to come through eventually.

I was very fortunate to be a student of Professor Nettleford. He taught me Caribbean Politics at UWI Mona Campus during the academic year 1994 to 1995. He was the best teacher/lecturer I have ever had, without a doubt! He never came to class with a book in his hand. It was as if the information just flowed from his brain like oil from a bottle-smooth. He was a master of  his craft or crafts.

Itis funny that when I started this blog two days ago, I mentioned his name as one of the intellectual giants, not only of the Caribbean but in the world. He has lectured at universities around the world and has more Honorary Doctorate Degrees than i coild count on both hands. He was also a cultural giant. Those who saw him danced spoke with amazement of his grace and poise.

The Caribbean has lost another icon, Professor Rex Nettleford, gone by will certainly not be forgotten.

Utility rates in the Caribbean

Could you believe that in this recession-filled times all the utility rates in Barbados are going? Better believe it. Last week the Fair Trading Commission granted the Barbados Light and Power Company permission to increase its rate by 10 percent. Last year the Commisssion also granted LIME permission to increase its rates and the Water Authoriy, well they just raised theirs by 60 percent.

Now, I only did introduction to Economics, but it does not take a Sir Arthur Lewis to tell us that in a time of recession such moves are detrimental to the masses.

What ever happened to the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility? Where is the social conscience of these companies?

Moonlight

The moon is absolutely beautiful these nights. Take a few minutes and enjoy it. As a child growing up in rural St Vincent and the Grenadines, moonlights were special time, not just because our house did not have electricity, but all the children in the community would congregate in one yard and play games, sing moonlight songs and dance and just have great fun. All of this has changed now with the advent of cable tv, ipod, video games and what do you know, the Internet.

I urge however, to pause, get a glass of something you like and sit, stand, lay on your back, whatever and enjoy the moonlight tonight.

Caribbean2dbone is here

hi world

welcome to my first blog. I am Caribbean2dbone and I will bring a Caribbean perspective on isues to the world. I am also an avid football(soccer for the US readers) fan and come this June in South Africa, I will be crazy behind the Brazillian team.

I decided to start a blog today after attending an Internet Marketing seminar over the weekend.